The Cross Of OU - Peaked #1804

Hey everyone! I've recently been urged to write an RMT about my recent sun team, something that I've always wanted to do but never had the time (or rather I was too lazy) - and now because winter vacations are here and I’ve pretty much nothing else to do, here it is:

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This team was made about two weeks ago when I was first thought about bringing heracross to OU and I fell in love with it almost immediately. While being greatly hyped about in UU it barely saw much usage in OU and was considered “not OU material”. With its high attack stat, access to two balling stabs and an amazing ability in moxie. And I don't regret that decision. The team has worked extremely well for me and has peaked upto 1804. It would have definately gone higher if i had even a minor interest in laddering.

Ninetales is obviously essential to my team since I wanted to build a decent sun team after the fail sun team that I built last time. In choosing Ninetales for my team, I knew that I wanted to use the specially defensive set so that I could win weather wars and I believe it is the only viable set that ninetales can run if it wants its weather up. Ninetales has one purpose and one only and that is to set up the sun. Anything else it does is considered as an addition boost. Sunny Day allows me to cripple weather inducers who switch into ninetales to safely get their weather up only to see their purpose defeated as I predict the switch and get the sun back up. Will-O-Wisp allows me to cripple physical attackers who like to switch into ninetales and to induce a status on other inducers. Roar is a phasing move against set up sweepers such as volcarona. Flamethrower is for general STAB boosted under the sun which has enough power to break subs and make sure that im not taunt fodder.

Dugtrio is a great Pokemon for any Sun Team to consider. Dugtrio can trap many threatening Pokemon including, but not limited to, Tyranitar, Terrakion, and Heatran. Two of those being my teams biggest counters and also is my main answer to volcarona which happens to be big threat no.3 to my team. As already mentioned, Dugtrio can eliminate weather inducers like Tyranitar and Ninetales, making parts of the opponent's team essentially useless. Not only does Trio eliminate opposing weather, but it also clears the path for a Venusaur sweep sweep by eliminating Steel types like Jirachi and Heatran. Earthquake OHKOs all Heatran and 2HKOs Tyranitar and Jirachi. Reversal is a powerful STAB that does ridiculous amounts of damage, even coming from Dugtrio's weak attack stat. Memento is a move which cripples set up sweepers who like to come in on Dugtrio. Earthquake is a powerful STAB needed to KO those pestering steel types. Stone Edge hits volcarona and forms the almost unresisted edge-quake combo.

Heracross is the pokemon this team was built around. Hearacross acts as a perfect revenge killer for the team and while its base 85 speed isn’t the best for a scarfer against other scarfer heracross makes up for it with an ability that would even put terrakion to shame. A Choice Scarf bypasses its Speed issues by granting it a one-stage boost off the bat. Close Combat and Megahorn are the main attacking options. After factoring in the immense 120 Base Power of both moves, as well as boosts from STAB even Pokemon that resist them will think twice about switching in. For instance, the former move 2HKOes even 252/252+ Skarmory. Stone Edge is virtually mandatory on any Heracross set, as it deals with most opponents that resist both Heracross's STABs, especially Flying-types such as the ever-common Tornadus-T. Sleep Talk enables Heracross to absorb Spore from the likes of Breloom and KO them back with any of its STABS.

When the sun is up and victini is out on the field there is only one word that comes to the mind. “V-Create”. The strongest move in OU without any major repercussions boosted by STAB, Sun and a choice band will hurt to say the least. An encounter with this set will show just how hard it is to switch in to V-create; V-create blasts through standard physical walls, such as Skarmory and Forretress, and even OHKOes defensive Gliscor in sun. Not even Hippowdon can switch in safely, as it is 2HKOed by V-create. Bolt Strike is used to hit bulky Water-types, OHKOing even the bulkiest of Politoed and Jellicent after Stealth Rock damage and 2HKOing Rotom-W without a Speed drop. While the unreliable 85% accuracy might make you wary of using it, remember that Victory Star boosts it to a much more reliable 93% (God bless decent abilities). Brick Break is Victini's best option to hit Heatran and Tyranitar. For the last move, U-turn maintains momentum and eases prediction when using Victini.

If I am gonna use the sun I might as well use somebody who can abuse its
presense. Venusaur is my chlorophyll sweeper. I can’t describe to you the huge threat that Venusaur is under the sun with a Growth boost under its belt. We are going to begin with the spread. The current spread allows me to outspeed timid scarf latios while keeping max special attack and keep enough bulky to not get OHKO’ed by scizors bullet punch. Venusaur with life orb is almost unstoppable mid/late game. Growth boosts my attack and special attack to insane level thus securing me many OHKO’s with a life orb boost. Growth is the boosting move which makes Venusaur the monster that it is boosting its special attack by 2 stages in the sun. Giga Drain is a powerful STAB which hits hard while allowing me reliable recovery at the same time. Hidden Power Fire is boosted by the sun and lets me get past steel types. Sludge Wave is a decent STAB which hits a lot of pokemon for neutral damage.

Landorus-T joins the team as a rampaging tailed beast, Intimidating opposing physical attackers with its mesmerizing glare. This is the bulky set, the one with even more physical bulk than Gliscor and the one that can rip off chunks of HP from flyers like Salamence / Dragonite and OHKO them on the spot. Landorus's job isn't only to KO things that need KO'ing. It's a physical tank which sets Rocks, and weakens physical attackers, and then pivots to Venusaur/Heracross who have weaker defense and allowing them to set up / sweep. Landorus's slower U-Turn is really useful against VoltTurn teams because of his slow speed and typing. His powerful EQ is the one of the most damaging unboosted moves in the team. Stone Edge provides coverage for pokemon like Tornadus / Volcorona, who would have no trouble sweeping if Landorus couldn't come in to revenge them.

One Last Look

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Thanks for taking time off for reading this RMT. I know that like every other team that i made this team too has its fare share of weaknesses because you cant be perfect and always have a sure counter to RP Landorus. Be sure to give your comments and suggestions as I will take most of your suggestions into consideration and if you like the team be sure to click the like button on the top right and give me that luvdisc!

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Hello, Dwayne this is a great team. However, I feel your Ninetales would appreciate Toxic to cripple bulky switch-ins such as the blobs. Burn is nice, but Toxic is a lot better for wearing down walls. Therefore, I suggest you replace Sunny Day for it. Sunny Day is situational and not every team you will face will be a weather team. Other than that, I see no major or obvious flaws. Hope I helped.

The first thing I noticed about your team is a lack of a Rapid Spinner. This really cuts down your chance to keep the Sun up. This can be fixed one of two ways, but the second way is more effective.

First Way

Give Ninetales Rest over Roar and Chesto Berry over Leftovers. This gives you increased longevity and allows Ninetales to provide Sun for a lot longer, making hazards less of a problem for you. This solution unfortunately doesn't help Victini retain its health though.

Second Way

Replace Landorus-T for Donphan. This gives you a pokemon with similar stats and coverage, and a Rapid Spinner as well. It also helps with Dragon types who can give you trouble.

Earthquake is for a powerful stab option, Ice Shard is for Dragons as mentioned above, Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin are the main reason to use Donphan. Max Defense is used to take hits from Terrakion and Scizor well, who could otherwise give you some problems.

The rest of your team looks fine, all of the movesets are good and the spreads work. Your team is a little frail but if you're looking to be as offensive as possible it shouldn't matter.

Moderator

One thing I noticed is that SR being up is going to be a huge problem for this team. All you have to do is lead Ninetales and have the opponent set up against Hippowdon. After SR is up, Dugtrio cannot switch into Heatran in the sun unless it wants to be KO'd and Substitute Heatran can prove even more harmful. Aside from that everything is taking either 12.5 or 25% damage which can prove pretty dangerous in the long run for Ninetales in the weather war and Victini if you're hoping to threaten anything with it. I feel like you could possibly get rid of Heracross. I don't think it's really helping Venusaur sweep and it doesn't want to switch into a lot of the Pokemon that Venusaur doesn't like [Latias, Heatran, Zapdos]. I'd slap the scarf on Landorus-T and put a Donphan over Heracross. Landorus-T is a great scarfer thanks to its attack, typing and versatility. Landorus-T is also a great answer to Garchomp, which can hurt sun teams if given the opportunity [forcing out Ninetales and predictign an SD]. Landorus-T can also smash any Volcarona on opposing teams that can take advantage of the sun and your Fire/Grass based attacks. Also, Landorus-T can easily lure in something like Hippowdon that Venusaur can beat or get a Growth up on and U-Turn out. Donphan should go in place of Heracross; its an extremely durable Spinner and has a plethora of opportunities to set SR. Donphan can keep all hazards off the field so that you can both switch and double switch Dugtrio into Heatran, rather having to sac something so that Dugtrio can get in.

Moderator

Hi Dwayne.
I like your Sun Team, you possess Heracross a Pokémon very interesting and very effective, but there are many weaknesses in your team, you are weak against Latias/Latios you have nothing to take the Dracometeor and Venusaur does not kill it with Sludge Bomb and even if you put Heracross the opponent can switch and return after then you are also weak against Landorus Spec, Landorus Spec outspeed Landorus-T and kills with Hidden Power Ice Heracross can't do anything, and Venusaur can not kill him, then you play a Team Sun but you possess no spinner, in a weather War you're going to lose because Ninetales takes 25% on Stealth Rock, I suggest put Heatran Trapper on Victini, Heatran is a very good pokemon for your team, It can come on the Fire Attacks with his Ability (Flash Fire) and it can also counter Latias/Latios and Heatran Magma Storm can Trapp the Weathers such as Tyranitar-Politoed-Hippodown (Abomasnow OHKO), with this move the opponent pokemon can more escape and Dugtrio can finally kill the pokemon to win the Weather War or to kill a pokemon Heatran can Trapp Blissey also.

But now you don't have nothing to come on Gliscor and spinn, I suggest you put Cloyster on Landorus-T , Cloyster is very interesting, he may be Sweepers or Stall (Spinn), then Cloyster can Kill Dragonite/Gliscor/Landorus-T and it can tank many physical sweepers. Now you can swap Stone Edge with Stealth Rock on Dugtrio and Hidden power Fire with Hidden power Ice for Venusaur.

Hi, this is a nice Sunny Day Team! You are weak to Stealth Rock basically, I'd suggest a Rapid Spinner somewhere, that solves the problem and makes working a bit 'better Dugtrio with Focus Sash.
In Sunny Day Team one that works well is Donphan instead of Landorus-T, or you can try Forretress, giving Spikes and Stealth Rock giving a Dugtrio instead of Memento.
Good Luck, for the team!